A doughnut-shaped object supporting surface rotations was a hypothetical construct proposed by both Taylor and Purcell as a swimmer that would be able to propel itself in a Stokesian fluid because of the irreversibility of its stroke. Here we numerically examine the hydrodynamic interaction of pairs and trios of these free toroidal swimmers. First, we study the axisymmetric case of two toroidal swimmers placed in tandem, and show that a single torus of a corotating pair is more efficient than when it swims alone, but less efficient when paired with a counterrotating partner. Using a regularized Stokeslet framework, we study the nonaxisymmetric case of toroidal swimmers whose axes are initially parallel, but not collinear. These perturbed in tandem swimmers can exhibit qualitatively different trajectories that may, for instance, repel the swimmers or have them settle into a periodic state. We also illustrate interesting dynamics that occur for different initial configurations of three tori.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.95.043102 | DOI Listing |
Nat Microbiol
October 2019
Centre for Comparative Genomics and Evolutionary Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
We describe Idionectes vortex gen. nov., sp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhys Rev E
April 2017
Department of Mathematics, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, USA.
A doughnut-shaped object supporting surface rotations was a hypothetical construct proposed by both Taylor and Purcell as a swimmer that would be able to propel itself in a Stokesian fluid because of the irreversibility of its stroke. Here we numerically examine the hydrodynamic interaction of pairs and trios of these free toroidal swimmers. First, we study the axisymmetric case of two toroidal swimmers placed in tandem, and show that a single torus of a corotating pair is more efficient than when it swims alone, but less efficient when paired with a counterrotating partner.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Exp Biol
April 2005
Bioengineering and Graduate Aeronautical Laboratories, California Institute of Technology, Mail Code 301-46, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
Flow patterns generated by medusan swimmers such as jellyfish are known to differ according the morphology of the various animal species. Oblate medusae have been previously observed to generate vortex ring structures during the propulsive cycle. Owing to the inherent physical coupling between locomotor and feeding structures in these animals, the dynamics of vortex ring formation must be robustly tuned to facilitate effective functioning of both systems.
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